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First One - mosFET amplifier module

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Lazy Cat

Lazy Cat

Member
Joined 2007
So you follow the First One thread, wonder why?

Post #1706 and many others makes you to some extent ignorant. Or you demand tests in Stereophile, The Absolute Sound, Hi-Fi News etc.?

Mikha65 said:
Hi Musiclovers

Time for me to share my FO 1.3 experience. Since i`m not a DIY guy, member Stereonet has done the work on my unit. Big thank you, Andrej.

I got my unit in August or September. It has been used in my system as well as in my friends system. We have tried it with at least 3 preamps and 4 different speaker in many combinations. I feel I can say that I know my FO very well by know.

My system is : Audio Aero Capitole Classic CDP ( borrowed from my friend ), Coincident Statement Line Stage, FO 1.3 amp, Hyperion 938 speakers, PS Audio PPP power regenerator, High Fidelity CT-1 E and U interconnects, Ridge Street Audio Poemia 3 speakercables ( Biwire ) and Sablon Audio Quantum Gran Corona and Robusto Powecables.

The reason I list my system is that I want you to know what FO can do with much higher priced components. So will FO deliver in a team of more expensive players?

FO does all the audiophile stuff with great confidence. Detail, soundstagin, speed etc is very high class. Someone posted about " poor prat and weak midbass ". About prat:
To me, in both my and my friends system, prat is one of FO most outstanding talents.
It made the other amps we compared it to sound old and tired. One of those other amps were the MC Intosh 501 mono blocks priced at more than 10.000 Euros list. This was very obvious and the impression is shared by the owner of the amps. You WILL NOT fall asleep listening to FO 1.3. The amp has the reflex of a cobra and the eyes of an eagle.

About bass: Yes, you can find an amp with fuller bass. The MC 501 spec is 500 w and it measures about 700 w/ mono block. It has a fuller bass , but is it better ?
FO is clearly faster and in no way weak. Monster powered amps may have more bass.
To me the FO bass is phenomenal.

I can understand that people likes the MC 501. They are powerfull and have a beautyfull sound. To me they are colored and that´s fine. Since first listening to FO 1.3 in his system my friend has sold his Mc Annaversary tube monos as well as his Mc 501 monos. A bird whispered in my ear that a FO 1.3 from the boss himself ( LC ) is on it`s way to our small city in Sweden. This guy has owned so many amp that both he and I have lost count. To name a few that comes to mind : Plinius SA 102, at least 3 different MC I setups, Devialet ( 2 weeks home trial ), at least 3 different Lebens ),
Radford, Woodside, Manley Snappers, Rouge 150 monos and many more.I have heard most of his amps and they all have their merits. All of those amps are in a different price category compared to FO. My former amp was the Audio research VT 100 MK 2. It was very good but honestly, I don`t miss it.

In terms of high end FO is considered " budget ". The only thing " budget " about FO is the price. After comparing FO side by side to many amps considered high end, there is only one conclusion to draw. Yes, the FO is highend. It will work with much more expensive players in the team.

Trust me, I was VERY suspicious when I was told about this amp. Could a DIY amp from Slovenia be any good ? And for peanuts ( in high end terms )?

Well, I was proven wrong. Sometimes I love to be wrong.
This amp will stay In my system.

The most important thing to me is not hifi parameters. Even if an amp is " perfect ", it`s not sure it will make magic. The trick for me is that FO has the ability to give me the big emotions. If I don`t get goose bumps, tears, airdrums etc I will loose interest.
I want to get blown away and FO does just that. Vocals are very emotional, drums have speed and impact. Some days I have listened all day and half the night.
Thats a good sign there is something special going on.

The FO is extremely transparent, but not harsh at all. Actually it is smooth and liquid.
To me it gives me a healty does of tube magic, without the oldschool tube bloat ( slow bloated bass, limited highs and to syrupy midrange ). I love a good tube amp but I don`t like tube failures, bias adjustemt and the cost of replacing tubes.

The FO is neutral, natural and musical at the same time. Not bad.

I will gladly answer questions about my FO.

I want to say thank you to everyone involved getting me this amp.
That includes of course the gentleman in London who made me aware of FO in the first place.

Happy new year,

Mikko
Click to expand...
 
Esperado

Esperado

Banned
Joined 2011
esperado.fr
Lazy Cat said:
I'm not stupid to give fine tuned FO CFA schematic on the net for free, some would even like to publish PCB gerbers hehe. This is the real World, c'mon.
Click to expand...
Everybody knows perfectly that the quality of an amp depend a lot on the real world PCB design, and i doubt some can do better than you on this matter.
Considering the time spend in finding all the parts, and your prices, i cannot see any interest for a DIYer to do this job himself. More, soldering SMD is not such a fun for a single DIYer. And a board with standard components will, for sure be not so efficient.
Last, unless you had changed your philosophy, all the quality of your designs, till now, depend of optimization. So, a schematic with no components value can give an idea of the topology used, without helping a lot to make an accurate copy.
I don't believe lot can be invented, nowadays. Diamonds, super pairs, cascodes, CCS, drivers, etc., everything and their effects is known and yet done ... and, on an other side, it is enough to buy one of your FO to know everything about for a copy cat ...
Anyway, to publish a full set of measurements is a minimum. Unless you want to be considered as one of those snake oil vendors (that I know you are not ;-) that sell poor amps, with so-calling "fantastic" sound, see what i mean.
I don't say all this in order to deserve your business, believe-me. Just, i express what would impeach-me to put an order.
 
Lazy Cat

Lazy Cat

Member
Joined 2007
First One v1.4 M update

Thanks for many orders guys, I've been very busy lately with some tenders, a lot of documentations prepared and sent out today. I promise all FO & DC sense proformas will be e-mailed back till the end of this week. :yes:

Also new Black Mamba v1.4 M in final stage of testing, pics coming soon. :D

New First One v1.4 M first batch extensively tested, SQ perfect, no mistake on layout whatsoever, perfect planning and executing done, so green light to production already lit on. :up:

L.C. :cheers:
 
ostripper

ostripper

Member
Joined 2008
Hey guys , give LC a break .

I look to this thread to see what might be down the road for me :eek: .
I'm sure Hugh Dean and Anthony Holton also went through a similar
transition (years ago...) .

FO , Aussieamps , AKSA "design style" is similar ... tight combination
TH and SMD. But FO is much more economical ! :)

Keep up the good work , LC.

OS
 
Lazy Cat

Lazy Cat

Member
Joined 2007
First One v1.4 M - Black Mamba

New First One M modules inside black C1 chassis. :)

Today's listenings prooved latest CFA topology is the way to go. :cloud9:
 

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H

hose4

Member
Joined 2013
Yep. LC stopped by today.

FO 1.4M sounds pretty good. Very good sound quality. Same character (or better said lack of) from top to bottom. Very good resolution and timing. And this is for an amp which played only few hours. It was only finished yesterday evening.

We listened to all kinds music and on most of them we heard another layer of music. For example Valetina Lisitsa at Royal Albert hall. I always felt that she is talented, but maybe she needs a little more time to mature. Not today not on FO. LC and me noticed really great piano playing with fantastic insight to interpretation.

This recording has some noise, at least it felt like noise up until today. The noise is actually air conditioning system, with some mechanical thumping audible, not to mention audience coughing.

My thumbs up.
 
maxlorenz

maxlorenz

Member
Joined 2003
youtube.com/channel/UCIRNCQpvrl-EfalifsmR4KA
Dear LC,

Appart my future F.O. which will be DIY, I have a friend who runs a "Cultural Centre" and who needs a good amplifier for his musical presentations.
How much that beautiful Black Mamba would cost?

Have you considered selling the amps ready mounted on their heat-sinks only, without the whole case?
The purchase and shipment of the whole amp case gets very expensive for the ones who live farther from you... :eek:

M.
 
Lazy Cat

Lazy Cat

Member
Joined 2007
I agree that your proposal would solve quite few mechanically related issues, like cuting threads for mounting holes for the modules and chassis, time, etc., but heatsinks are heavy and so not economically justified to send around the globe. I think local mechanical shops could be as precise as needed and much more efficient in this regard. Also encouraging local economy has always some positive effects. Anyway please check if there's Fischer Elektronik GmbH representative in your country, SK157 is the heatsink model. ;)
 
maxlorenz

maxlorenz

Member
Joined 2003
youtube.com/channel/UCIRNCQpvrl-EfalifsmR4KA
Lazy Cat said:
I agree that your proposal would solve quite few mechanically related issues, like cuting threads for mounting holes for the modules and chassis, time, etc., but heatsinks are heavy and so not economically justified to send around the globe. I think local mechanical shops could be as precise as needed and much more efficient in this regard. Also encouraging local economy has always some positive effects. Anyway please check if there's Fischer Elektronik GmbH representative in your country, SK157 is the heatsink model. ;)
Click to expand...


OK. Thanks.

But, how much the Black Mamba? :)

Best wishes,
M.
 
F

fluid

Member
Joined 2009
Lazy Cat said:
OK since an active crossover is in the other chassis, solution is to connect all GND points of input RCA connectors in amp chassis together and lead only one wire to central GND of amp's SMPS. Positive wires from input RCA to + IN pad of each channel. ;)
Click to expand...

I have tried the solution above and unfortunately it did not make any difference, or if it did I am now more attuned to the noise so I can still hear it.

The noise is in all four channels but the sound is slightly different from the bigger drivers as they have a passive first order filter which makes it sound more like a hum whereas the tweeter sounds more buzzy as the higher harmonics are not filtered.

I have made a few other tests and even with only one rca cable connected the noise is still present in that channel. All other channels then have just a slight background hiss as you would expect from any AB amp.

I find this to be confusing as with only one rca cable connected the loop area is significantly smaller than before but it seems to make no difference.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks
 
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